Melvin Combden plays "Mussels in the Corner" in two parts on his accordion. There is also a third part played on Fogo Island, which Melvin plays briefly. Evelyn Osborne knows the same two-part version, which she plays briefly on her fiddle.

Evelyn Osborne asks Melvin Combden to play "Ruby's Garden." Melvin cannot remember the tune so he plays "Step it out Molly" to jog his memory. Remembering "Ruby's Garden," he plays the two songs together. Then Evelyn plays her version of "Ruby's...

Evelyn Osborne asks Melvin Combden what other instruments would accompany the accordion. Usually the guitar. Sometimes they would play the "silly stick" (also known as an "ugly stick"), a stick with a boot on the bottom, beer caps and a can on the...

Bessie Dawe talks about how they would row from Seldom-Come-By to the Cape down by Tilting to fish. Lewis Payne describes how they would row from the Town of Fogo to Copper Island, past Change Island, in order to cut firewood as there is no wood...

Melvin Combden speaks of his second cousin Harry Budgel, who was a good accordion player and step dancer. Discussion of square dancing and step dancing; he has never seen "stepping on the plate" but heard of it when he was growing up. Apparently...

Melvin Combden liked the accordion as a boy. There was little entertainment in Wild Cove, so playing musical instruments was common. The radio was expensive, as batteries costed nine dollars and one had to go to Seldom-Come-By to get them. Growing...

Melvin Combden states that a lot of Newfoundland music comes from "over there," meaning Ireland and England, but mostly from Ireland. Most of the music that Melvin knows comes from people on Fogo Island. He also discusses the influence of Harry...

People tend to play differently. Melvin Combden plays by ear, trying to recreate the tune he hears. Evelyn Osborne believes that after learning a song, a person often changes it. Melvin agrees, sometimes he changes notes to make the tune sound...

Since there was not much entertainment on Fogo Island, someone interested in the accordion would hang around someone who could play. Melvin Combden spent time with his cousin Harry Everly, who was a good accordion player, to pick up his method of...

Lewis reads a poem he wrote about his niece Margaret, who went for a holiday one January. When she returned the weather was bad, and she thought she would be stuck in Man of War cove where the ferry docks. Lewis went and picked her up in the storm....